1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cultures of human olfactory neurons and to methods of screening agents for therapeutic and toxic effects using such cultures.
2. Background Information
Neurons have eluded the attempts of researchers to maintain them in continuous cultures largely because most neurons do not divide and/or proliferate. Investigators have been able to maintain fetal or newborn rat neurons in culture, however, the neurons are static, do not divide and die after several months.
Olfactory sensory neurons, which are of central origin and are considered part of the central nervous system, do divide Talamo et al., Nature 337:736-739, (1989)!. In fact, olfactory neurons from rats have been cultured Coon et al., PNAS USA 86:1703-1707, (1989)!. However, rats do not develop human neurologic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and other human mental illnesses. Therefore, cultures of rat neurons can not be used to test for potential therapeutic agents for these human diseases. Furthermore, rats have different tolerance levels of toxic compounds than humans. Therefore, the neurotoxicity of various agents to humans could be more accurately determined using cultured human neurons than cultured rat neurons.
Cell cultures of cancer cells, such as human neuroblastoma cells, also exist. However, these cells tend to be undifferentiated and do not exhibit a strong neuronal phenotype. Neuroblastomas are not of central nervous system origin. Furthermore, neuroblastomas have not been cultured from individuals with generalized central nervous system diseases (ie, neuro/psychiatric illnesses).
Human olfactory neurons, being primarily, of central nervous system origin from healthy individuals and individual with neuro/psychiatric illnesses would offer better systems for testing agents for therapeutic and toxic effects.